Alaa Fayez Hamza

The Editorial Board of the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery mourns the tragic loss of Professor Alaa Fayez Hamza who was the Editor representing the Middle East. He died in a car accident in Cairo on May 1, 2012.

Alaa Hamza was one of the most prominent pediatric surgeons in Egypt and the Middle East. He was a superb and innovative surgeon and teacher. He highly motivated the pediatric surgical community of his country and also the region. As a president of the Egyptian Paedatric Surgical Association (EPSA), he made his society internationally visible. Alaa Hamza created sustainable relationships with numerous prestigious pediatric surgeons from all over the world. Many well-known pediatric surgeons followed his invitations to Egypt and enjoyed the hospitality of him and his wife Rasha. In return he was invited to an endless number of congresses, scientific meetings, and workshops where he gave lectures and served as chairman or panelist.

Alaa Hamza was closely affiliated to many national and international societies such as the WOFAPS, the Pan Arab Association of Pediatric Surgery, the Pan African Pediatric Surgery Association, the Arab Liver Transplant Society, and numerous others. The faculty of Ain Shams University recently elected him as president. He represented the first elected president of his institution and guided his university through turbulent times.

I had the privilege to meet Alaa Hamza many times in Egypt, all over the globe, and also in Hannover when he and his wife Rasha came for a visit. We became real friends. As a result of this visit we created a successful joint academic program of Ain Shams and Sanaa University together with Hannover Medical School that still continues.

The academic activities of Alaa Hamza were extraordinary. He conducted clinical trials and published many articles in international scientific journals despite the extremely difficult conditions in his country. In addition, he served the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery constantly for many years as its Editor representing the Middle East and was always ready to support with reviews.

On behalf of the Editorial Board and as a friend, I extend my heart-felt condolences to Rasha, his wife, and all his children. All of us will miss him and mourn his loss—each in our own way. We will never forget his optimism, his endless energy, his charisma, his wide smile, and his great heart.